RFID for the Internal Logistics of Foods Manufacturers

Abstract:
It is assumed that large retailing chains will expect supplying manufacturers to attach RFID tags to their products mid-term. To gain the active support of the suppliers beyond a compliance-driven “slap and ship” approach, it is pivotal to identify and evaluate economically viable applications for this group of users. Based on qualitative research with five companies, possible solutions, benefits, and obstacles for food manufacturers are elicited. Although the companies already looked into a variety of mainly automation oriented applications, the technology is still not regarded to be convincing due to technical, political, and economic reasons. This is in part a result of company and industry peculiarities. There are interesting scenarios, however, which build up on a more far reaching data-exchange. Their realization should be fostered by taking supportive measures that curb risks and facilitate technology introduction.